Add your thoughts using the KWL approach. Thinking about Game Mechanics, Games-Based Learning or gamification.....
K = What do you know? I went to a Neuroscience conference last year and learnt about the affect of Dopamine on the brain. Scientists spoke about a process whereby gaming elevated levels of Dopamine in the brain. It was when content or activities were delivered in a high dopamine state that learning was enhanced - mostly because dopamine encouraged the memory faculty of the brain. My understanding was that it was less about what the game actually was, and more about the process of increasing dopamine.
W = What do you want to learn?
Evidence-based studies on specific gaming technologies and or techniques
Lesson plan ideas or examples for using gaming ( specifically in Science would be a bonus :)
Examples of easy to use technology to use to create gaming experiences for students or that they can use for creating games
L = What have you learned? (we'll do this last one later I thought a lot more about the terms we can use when discussing this topic such as - fun,play,work and games. In particular I found new 'terms' like 'easy fun' , 'deep play' , 'serious play' and 'organised play' an interesting way to recall the nuances. I loved the term 'lifelong kindergarten' to describe learning through games.
Important game design elements include:
a clear, overall vision
constant focus on the player experience
strong structure
high adaptability
as well as Content, Action, Behaviour and innovation
I also liked Nicole Lazzario's 4 Keys to Fun
Hard Fun - challenge,mastery, scores, positive frustration and fear
Easy Fun - curiosity, wonderment, surprise,exploration
Serious Fun - reward, making a difference in world, getting smarter, self identity
People Fun - social, amusement, laughter, social mechanics
Gamification can be made up of three elements (Kevin Werbach)
1. Game Dynamics - the big picture aspects WHY
Constraints (outcomes)
Narrative (topic or theme)
Progression – very important aspect, chance to improve, not necessarily Levels & Points
Relationships – peeps interacting collaboratively or individual
2. Game Mechanics - HOW - the tools to move the action forward
Challenges
Chance
Competition / Cooperation
Feedback
Resource Acquisition or collection
Rewards or points
Transactions
Taking Turns
Win States
3. Game Components - WHAT
Achievements
Avatars
Badges
Boss Fights
Collections
Combat
Content Unlocking
Gifting
Leaderboards
Levels
Points
Quests
Rubrics and self assessment
Teams - Peer review
Virtual Goods
Reflection
Add your thoughts here and also add to the KWL notes above, where appropriate. It took a long time to read Marc Prensky's chapter as I needed to really read slowly and 'think' about the words. I saved the document from a web source of it for later reference as there seemed to be so much in it. I'm still not entirely clear on the difference between gamification and GBL although it's coming along as I go. I find it interesting to look a the mechanics of this online course as it's being delivered. I like the graphic layout - simple and uncluttered. The progression through slides has been excellent and I'm intrigued by how well Articulate can integrate different components like Google Form, wiki, video and webpages. There has been a bit of freezing with pages and having to reload the course - but all in all a good example of user friendly and informative design. I'm impressed with the quality of resources chosen to be the content of the course. They seem to really capture it well.
Level 2
Where do I start?
Identify some learning outcomes that you will be visiting with your students in upcoming lessons. Note down here some ways they might benefit from gamification.
I am starting a unit on the Environment and the main broad outcome is that :
A student will assesses human impacts on the interaction of biotic and abiotic features of the environment.
Other outcomes could be:
A student observes a range of physical interactions ( this is the broad outcome for a topic on Electricity).
A student observes a range of chemical interactions. This is a broad outcome for a topic on Chemistry)
Observe and reflect After playing a game what are your personal thoughts about the design and elements involved and how any of these could help you in thinking about doing the same in a learning activity?
The elements that really seemed to work well in the electrocity game I used were : REWARD & LEADERBOARD- offering chips as a reward for top scores really motivated students to stick with learning the game and sticking with its rules in order to succeed by the boundaries set. They created their own 'leader board' by comparing their score with each other CHANCE - having a 'random' mix of things happen so no two times you play are the same CHALLENGE - it was not an easy game to succeed at and even after hours of playing no one was able to get an A score - so it kept them longing ! COOPERATION - the choices they made were not just about making money but within the game they had to have different parts work together - community,environment and economy. There was also a culture of 'how did you get your population to a million ?' talk amongst the boys as they were playing as they shared the secrets of their successes. PROGRESSION - there was a 'turn' which they could click on to progress or would be forced to take if they were not moving forward. It gave a sense of urgancy to the flow
Level 3
Premiers Reading Challenge Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience. (feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience. (feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
Add your finished plan here as an upload file or as text you have cut and pasted into the wiki. We would love to give you feedback to help you get started. (remember it does not need be perfect, it is a first attempt). Alternatively it can be emailed to us instead.
Badges & Rewards
Level 1
KWL (Levels 1 and 3)
Add your thoughts using the KWL approach. Thinking about Game Mechanics, Games-Based Learning or gamification.....K = What do you know?
I went to a Neuroscience conference last year and learnt about the affect of Dopamine on the brain. Scientists spoke about a process whereby gaming elevated levels of Dopamine in the brain. It was when content or activities were delivered in a high dopamine state that learning was enhanced - mostly because dopamine encouraged the memory faculty of the brain. My understanding was that it was less about what the game actually was, and more about the process of increasing dopamine.
W = What do you want to learn?
L = What have you learned? (we'll do this last one later
I thought a lot more about the terms we can use when discussing this topic such as - fun,play,work and games. In particular I found new 'terms' like 'easy fun' , 'deep play' , 'serious play' and 'organised play' an interesting way to recall the nuances. I loved the term 'lifelong kindergarten' to describe learning through games.
Important game design elements include:
- a clear, overall vision
- constant focus on the player experience
- strong structure
- high adaptability
as well as Content, Action, Behaviour and innovationI also liked Nicole Lazzario's 4 Keys to Fun
Game elements include :
Examples - Giopolitics , Zombie acroplyps , multiplayer classroom (everyone has an F and is trying to reach an A)
Article from Karl Kapp's blog - 8 game elements to make learning more intriguing, best practices in implementing Gamification
Gamification can be made up of three elements (Kevin Werbach)
1. Game Dynamics - the big picture aspects WHY
- Constraints (outcomes)
- Narrative (topic or theme)
- Progression – very important aspect, chance to improve, not necessarily Levels & Points
- Relationships – peeps interacting collaboratively or individual
2. Game Mechanics - HOW - the tools to move the action forward- Challenges
- Chance
- Competition / Cooperation
- Feedback
- Resource Acquisition or collection
- Rewards or points
- Transactions
- Taking Turns
- Win States
3. Game Components - WHATReflection
Add your thoughts here and also add to the KWL notes above, where appropriate.It took a long time to read Marc Prensky's chapter as I needed to really read slowly and 'think' about the words. I saved the document from a web source of it for later reference as there seemed to be so much in it. I'm still not entirely clear on the difference between gamification and GBL although it's coming along as I go.
I find it interesting to look a the mechanics of this online course as it's being delivered. I like the graphic layout - simple and uncluttered. The progression through slides has been excellent and I'm intrigued by how well Articulate can integrate different components like Google Form, wiki, video and webpages. There has been a bit of freezing with pages and having to reload the course - but all in all a good example of user friendly and informative design. I'm impressed with the quality of resources chosen to be the content of the course. They seem to really capture it well.
Level 2
Where do I start?
Identify some learning outcomes that you will be visiting with your students in upcoming lessons. Note down here some ways they might benefit from gamification.I am starting a unit on the Environment and the main broad outcome is that :
Other outcomes could be:
Observe and reflect
After playing a game what are your personal thoughts about the design and elements involved and how any of these could help you in thinking about doing the same in a learning activity?
The elements that really seemed to work well in the electrocity game I used were :
REWARD & LEADERBOARD- offering chips as a reward for top scores really motivated students to stick with learning the game and sticking with its rules in order to succeed by the boundaries set. They created their own 'leader board' by comparing their score with each other
CHANCE - having a 'random' mix of things happen so no two times you play are the same
CHALLENGE - it was not an easy game to succeed at and even after hours of playing no one was able to get an A score - so it kept them longing !
COOPERATION - the choices they made were not just about making money but within the game they had to have different parts work together - community,environment and economy. There was also a culture of 'how did you get your population to a million ?' talk amongst the boys as they were playing as they shared the secrets of their successes.
PROGRESSION - there was a 'turn' which they could click on to progress or would be forced to take if they were not moving forward. It gave a sense of urgancy to the flow
Level 3
Premiers Reading Challenge Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience. (feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)Link to PRC rubric
Zombie Learning Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience.(feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
Link to Zombie Learning rubric
You Try/ A final reflection
Add your finished plan here as an upload file or as text you have cut and pasted into the wiki. We would love to give you feedback to help you get started. (remember it does not need be perfect, it is a first attempt). Alternatively it can be emailed to us instead.Link to Game Thinking plan
Have you filled in the evaluation? Have you found the bonus level content?